Wolfenstein Loading Screen Translations

Here at Codec Moments we like to think that we can answer any questions thrown at us, and if we don’t actually know, we’ll do our best to try and cobble a semi-coherent answer together. We might even do this at times when we’re not directly asked. This is one of those times. Ever since our Wolfenstein: The New Order review went live, our most frequent search terms have thrown up the question about what the loading screen messages mean, and we’ll admit to being curious as well. In a scientific approach our own Prof. Harris would be ashamed to be associated with, we’ve grabbed as many screens as we could find with different phrases and run them through Google translate, saving your fingers the hassle of pressing buttons/touchscreens, which frees up them up for continuing the liberation of an alternate 1960’s universe.

My will is your guide *Thorus has given us a great explanation of this one, and that Richtschnur can also mean hangman’s rope which means there’s a little lost in the translation here, but (roughly), the alternative would be:

My will is your noose

Starkes Herz, starker Stahl

Strong heart, stronger steel *thanks to Hank in the comments

Eisen, Stein und Stahl – wir stehen geschlossen

Iron, stone and steel – we stand together *confirmed by J in the comments below

[not “we are closed” as Google originally suggested, but like the idea that they might hang a sign in the window…]

Starke durch Wissenschaft und Industrie

Strength through science and industry *changed strong to strength via Hank in the comments

Ich habe das Universum erobert

I have conquered the universe

Sieg durch Kampf

Victory through struggle *Google suggested Victory by battle, Hank reckons not in the comments

Evolution durch Wissenschaft und Krieg

Evolution through science and war

Blut, Knochen und Fleisch – wie Eisen

Blood, bone and flesh – as iron *thanks for the correction of meat to flesh Darren!

Wir gleiten oben, auf Flugeln aus Stahl

We rise up on wings of steel *suggested by J in the comments

OR

We rise above on wings of steel *suggested by Thorus in the comments

[Google suggested “we slip up…”, which would be more like a bad comedy than an evil overlord motivational phrase]

If you find one we’ve missed, because we can be a bit slap-dash when it comes to repetitively loading levels to find out if there’s a new phrase going to pop up, then Email/Tweet/G+/Facebook/Comment and we’ll add it in with the appropriate credit to the finder. Likewise, if you’re a native German speaker and find that our translations are terrible and insulting, hit us up and we’ll get them fixed (after blaming the service that gave us the answers, of course).

r3ap3r (from the comments) found more:

Diese Welt habe ich aus der Asche der Schwache erbaut

I have built this world from the ashes of weakness *updated by Thorus

Ein Herz – ein Wille

One Heart – One Will

Ich bin wie die Sonne – eine blendende Macht

I am like the Sun – a blinding power *updated thanks to Fury556

OR

I am like the Sun – a blinding force *suggested by Thorus

Steven dropped us a comment after he discovered:

Die Stärke des Stahls in Unseren Herzen

The strength of steel within our hearts *updated thanks to quader in the comments

That’s a good idea CJ, as we’re going through the game we’ll grab some more screens and see if we can get the correct translations for the posters as well. Might have to be after WATCH_DOGS finishes sucking up all the PS4 time…

A slight correction to “Ich bin wie die sonne – ein blendende macht” I am like the sun – a blinding power. Loved this part of the game (and my German other half found it amusing there were no translations).

Wir gleiten oben, auf Flügeln aus Stahl “gleiten” means “to glide”, “oben” is a german word that, in that context, means “above” or “high up” so the most fitting translation would be “we rise above, on wings of steel” or “we fly/rise high, on wings of steel”

Ich bin wie die Sonne – eine blendende Macht “Macht” in that context gets dircetly translated to “Force”, because it’s a comparison from him to the sun, not his power vs that of the sun.

Mein Wille ist eure Richtschnur Its impossible for a non-german speaker to see the mistake – practically its not a mistake, but “Richtschnur” in that case serves a rather burtal meaning, as “Richtschnur” can mean guideline, but in that case it is referring to the rope on which some is hanged (“richten” in german can be used as a form of “hinrichten”, its a little old-fashioned but grammatically correct), so it should be noted, as the word “richtschnur” in german can mean both – its a play with the double-meaning used to intensify Deathshead “Do or die”-principle.

Diese Welt habe ich aus der Asche der Schwäche erbaut The correct translation here would be “i have built this world from the ashes of weakness”, as “Schwäche” is the noun that means “weakness”

Rest is very well translated, im a german native speaker, so trust me with these.

2) ‘Sieg durch Kampf – Victory through struggle.’ “to struggle with something” implicates that you have or had problems to achieve something.

Yes it is it is a CORRECT translation but in my opinion -“Victory through Fight ” -“Victory through Battle” are more better options since Nazis don´t negotiate; Nazis prefered to fight, kill or die over negotiating.

{Dont forget that slogans in NAZI-propaganda are meant to sound simple, sharp & strong to motivate the masses.}

======================

3) “Mein Wille ist eure Richtschnur”

look at “http://www.bankenvergleich.de/wp-content/uploads/richtschnur-320×145.jpg”

Do you see the strings forming a straight line? Those strings are “Richtschnüre” (pl.)/ “Richtschnur” . Its a tool we use to build something ( for example) streets / walls / buildings in a exact straight line .

Is it “guideline” in english? – sry but i dont know 😛 …better ask your local hardware store ;D

( depending on what is being built, we (german workers) dont move away from that line. Not even 1 millimeter. )

“Starkes Herz, Starker Stahl” means “Strong Heart, Strong Steel” (not “stronger steel”). The -er ending on “stark” is the masculine adjective ending, which can be easy to confuse with the comparative form. To say “stronger steel” you would say “”Stärkerer Stahl” which involves adding an umlaut to the adjective, and two -er endings, the first for the comparative and the second for the masculine gender of the noun.

Thanks for the pics! May I ask you to include a neat, not moving, not downsized pic (I mean, as good looking as the ones you already uploaded) of this variation of the „Stärke durch Wissenschaft und Industrie” screen?